Chapter 7- Restoring Vision to the Blind: Advancements in Vision Aids for the Visually Impaired.

Visual impairment is a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease or trauma, which cannot be restored by conventional means, such as refractive correction or medication. Ocular disorders, which can lead to visual impairments include retinal degeneration, albinism, cataracts, glaucoma, corneal disorders, diabetic retinopathy, congenital disorders, infection, and macular problems. Visual impairment caused by brain and nerve disorders is usually termed cortical visual impairment. Census data of 2010 in the United States project that 13 million Americans aged 40 and older will have a visual impairment or be blind by the year 2050 (visual impairment and blindness increase in the over-40 population this past decade, 2012). According to the World Health Organization (Arditi & Rosenthal, 1998), when the best-corrected vision in the better eye is in the following ranges, it is considered:

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